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In two previous blog posts I talked about our fund raising efforts as we closed out our fiscal year (September 30). I can now report that we have had a successful financial year and have finished “in the black” for the second year in succession. In these troubled economic times, we consider this quite a feat!
As for our End of Year Campaign, we raised approximately $75,000, falling short of our $85,000 goal. Despite this shortfall, we were very pleased to raise $75,000, and relieved that we were able to raise this amount of money during a month where the stock market was in free fall. To all of our donors who braved a very turbulent month and still donated $75,000 to our campaign, we are eternally grateful!
So, how did we fall short of our c ..

Dallas Heritage Village Has Recently Been Re-accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM)
So what?
Well, of the estimated 17,500 museums in this country, only 779, or about 4.5%, are accredited. In Texas just 39 are accredited, and in Dallas, only the Dallas Museum of Art, the Museum of Nature and Science, and the Sixth Floor Museum join Dallas Heritage Village with this designation. We are in pretty good company here!
What is the significance of AAM accreditation?
As the AAM likes to say, accreditation is the “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.” It is an objective outside evaluation by other museum professionals who measure the museum against best standards and practices of the field. The accreditation seal of a ..

My first long-term museum job (meaning that I wasn’t just there for the summer) was at a historic farm in North Carolina. Historic Oak View County Park was fully funded by Wake County, which meant everything we did was free to visitors—admission, school tours, special events. Occasionally, we even got magical phone calls at the end of the fiscal year: “You have to spend X dollars in the next two weeks.” It was all very, very nice.
When I started working at Dallas Heritage Village, it took me a little while to adjust to a very different funding structure. As Gary has discussed previously (/blog/To-our-Trustees-Members-Neighbors-Friends-and-Constituents-Why-We-Need-Your-Support), our budget is made up of all kinds of revenue streams, including a ..

To our Trustees, Members, Neighbors, Friends, and Constituents : Why We Need Your Support
Previously I discussed the impact of state government cuts on museums around the country, including Texas. Since I wrote that essay, I have attended the Texas Association of Museums annual meeting, where I visited with colleagues and picked up more stores of what is happening in other states.
The news is not good. Clearly, we are in an era where government support for history, culture, and the arts is on a long-term decline. Government funding is important, because it is generally allocated for operations support such as utilities, salaries, maintenance—the kind of things that other funders are reluctant to support. If government support is on a long-term decline, ..

The headlines this spring and summer have been full of references to federal and state budget discussions, usually revolving around cuts in funding. The Texas Legislature just finished its work, and the implications of their budget cuts will soon be rippling throughout city and county governments. In the culture and arts world, we always watch these events with interest, because they inevitably affect our operations. What starts out as a cut at the state level trickles down to city and county governments, affecting their ability to pay for basic services. When city and county leaders have to make choices on where to cut, museums, libraries and parks are always first in line.
For history museums, especially house museums, cuts in public funding are especially difficul ..

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Dallas Heritage Village is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and is an institutional member of the Texas Association
of Museums. The Dallas County Heritage Society maintains Dallas Heritage Village which is supported, in part, by the
City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs and the Texas Commission on the Arts.